The Laguna Beach Fire Department encourages residents to adopt the lifesaving habit of changing their smoke alarm batteries at the same time they are changing their clocks to daylight saving time, which takes place on Sunday March 11.

In the past two years, structure fires ignited in three different homes, none of which had a working smoke detector. In each case, the occupants were extremely fortunate to have survived without the early detection, according to Thomas Padden, the fire department’s public education coordinator.

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. Changing the batteries in your smoke alarm is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and older adults are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely, Padden said. At a minimum, he recommends an alarm in each bedroom and outside each living area.

Firefighters will come out to inspect and or assist with the installation of smoke alarms or the changing of batteries for seniors.